(2)
with other mendicants, collect there for the sake of alms, which are largely dis-
tributed, but their stay is too short to allow of any particulars regarding their
condition or history being satisfactorily ascertained."
The Civil Surgeon of Muzaffargarh, Mr. J. Connor, states-" Leprosy is a
very uncommon disease here, but many people having the disease come from other
parts of the Punjab on a pilgrimage to the shrine of a Muhammadan saint called
Pir Jehawah-this proceeding being considered by the Natives an infallible remedy
for the disease. Nevertheless I have had some cases appealed from the saint to me,
as he did not seem to favour them. All the cases I have seen have come from other
parts of the Punjab: they have been of the tubercular variety."
Dr. E. McKellar, Civil Surgeon, Sialkot, remarks-" There is a leper
asylum here, about ten miles from Sialkot, which has been for seven years under the
medical charge of Assistant Surgeon Fatteh Singh, who has furnished me with
the following information:
" At present there are about sixty lepers in the asylum, only two-thirds of
whom, however, have been received from this district. They are of all castes, Hindus,
Muhammadans, and sweepers, &c., &c. About a fourth of those now under treat-
ment are females. The patients are very liberally dieted, receiving one seer ' atta'
daily, meat twice a week, also curd, dl and green vegetables, and they get also
a summer and winter set of clothing during the year. There appears to be no
particular locality in the district more affected by leprosy than others. As regards
individual cases, Babu Fatteh Singh makes the following remarks:
"In examining the medical history of these cases, no connection can pos-
sibly be traced between fish-eating, dl-eating, or in the eating of any other de-
scription of grain, and the production of leprosy. Poor living, hereditary syphilis,
scrofula and malarious poisoning seem to be at the bottom of many cases. Out
of eighteen cases minutely analysed, in only six of them did the disease appear to
be hereditary. Of these six, in two the father only was affected; in one the mother
only. In three, either the father or mother, brother or sister was diseased, and not
the parents. Of the eighteen male cases, two married leprous females and each
begot a male child. In one case, the child is now five years' old, and in the other,
two years old, and both are sound and healthy children. No facts are known that
favour the idea that leprosy is contagious. The disease in the asylum presents all
forms-tubercular, ansthetic and mixed. Plenty of good exercise in the open
air, cleanliness, and carbolic acid applications, externally, to the sores, constitute
the best mode of treatment known at present. The gurjun oil treatment, although
carried out for more than six months to the minutest details of Dr. McDougal's
method, and under direct supervision, has utterly failed at this asylum, and is
pronounced worse than useless by all the patients submitted to it."
Dr. Calthrop, Civil Surgeon, Kangra District, states-" Leprosy does not
prevail extensively in any portion of the Kangra District, the cases which are
seen being met with here and there in all tahsils. There is a small leper asylum,
situated a few miles beyond the jail, in which twenty-two inmates, who choose
to come of their own accord, are fed and provided for. This institution is under
the charge of the Nazir of the Sadr Kutcheri, and, until my taking medical
charge of the district, was only visited rarely by the Jail Native Doctor, to whom
an allowance of Rs. 5 per month was made. On reporting the unsatisfactory
nature of this arrangement to the Deputy Commissioner, I got a compounder
permanently appointed to the asylum on a salary of Rs. 10, whose business it is
to treat casual ailments. A large sum of money has been set aside for the pur-
chase of gurjun oil, but I regret to say I have not been able to give this plan of
treatment a fair trial, owing to none being procurable from the Medical Store
Department. I am hoping, however, to get some this spring, and, if so, shall
further enlarge on this topic in my next year's report."
Dr. Henderson, Civil Surgeon, Rawal Pindi District, states-" Leprosy does not
appear to be very common in the district, for most of the lepers in the Pindi
Leper Asylum come from other districts or from Kashmir. A separate report will
be sent in regarding the leper asylum and the effect of the treatment of gurjun
oil."
Dr. Dale, Civil Surgeon, Jhelum District, states-" Leprosy is uncommon,
only three cases came under my observation during the year-two in the jail and
one at the dispensary-the former (jail cases) were hereditary, the dispensary
case was a mild one and appeared late in life; the subject, a khidmatgar. He
was much benefitted-he himself declared cured -by the gurjun oil treatment. Of
the jail cases, one died from another disease, a very bad case in an advanced
ulcerated stage. The other was lost sight of on release. Neither were benefitted
by the treatment (gurjun oil.)"